This is my beautiful friend, Heydi. She lives in Nicaragua, has two young children and has battled and won the fight against cancer! But, cancer took her leg.
I was blessed to meet Heydi a year ago while on a mission trip to Nicaragua. Just two weeks after her left leg was amputated above the knee, my team had the opportunity to hear her difficult story and pray over her. She was so sad, bedridden, hurting, and alone with two young children depending on her. She was alone because her husband, overwhelmed by dealing with her illness and the ultimate loss of her leg, had left.
She shared with our team the story of her amputation and her outlook on life. She was broken, but still looking for the positive in her life. Her hope comes from knowing a loving and gracious God! Her joy comes from her children and her bead work. Heydi is gifted at making jewelry, keychains and hair clips out of beads, which is her only source of income.
I am happy to say that I saw Heydi again, several times in fact, on my last visit to Nicaragua three weeks ago. She was able to join our team for a few days and teach the art of jewelry making to others in need to allow them the opportunity to do what she does for an income. She was "sitting on the other side of the table" from last year. Even though she is still in need, she is giving back to others. I'm so proud of her.
I'd love to be part of a cause that helps to make this woman's life even better. Over this past year, she went through rehab using a borrowed prosthetic leg. In effort to allow Heydi to completely heal and rehabilitate, her mother took her children to her own home and cared for them there. Heydi missed them so much it gave her the motivation to learn to walk again, and her son, Kevin, has been able to return home! He is only 8 years old, but helps her as much as he can by cleaning and helping her cook. A new prosthetic leg of her own would allow her to continue her journey to healing and make it easier for her to be the mom she wants to be.
Although she is on the road to being whole again, this borrowed leg does not fit correctly to her body and gives her sores and back problems. She needs her own leg that is made to fit her, but they are about $6000. She works hard to provide what little they have, and $6000 is simply more money than she can imagine. Let's join together to give Heydi a leg! Can you imagine the joy?
The non-profit (501c3) I facilitate mission teams for is Forward Edge International. They have created a LINK on their donation page specifically for Heydi. Your contributions will bring her closer to a new life, one I promise to post on so you can see the joy for yourself!
Thank you for reading this post and for anything you can contribute!
With a grateful heart, Tracy.
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